Remembrance
by Just A Dreamer9
Summary: Calamity Ganon has been defeated. Struggles still persist as Link seeks to regain his memories and Zelda wishes to live the quiet life for a time in order to better understand the daily struggles of her people. Slow burn Zelink with some angst and tons of fluff!
1. Chapter 1

Remembrance

"Do you remember me?" The princess of a kingdom lost to war and time asked the blonde knight she had met over a hundred years ago. His lips formed a sad yet overjoyed smile as the wind danced in their hair and blew her white dress around. Link took one step forward before running and then falling into his princess's arms, holding on for fear that if he were to let go, she would disappear forever.

"Zelda." He choked out, tears darkening the fabric of her white dress. The usually stoic swordsman, with evil vanquished and the pressure of his sworn duty lifted, broke apart in his charge's arms. All the struggles, all the pressure he felt from the eyes of the people counting on him, all his exhaustion finally broke through in the form of his tears as he wept in her arms. She gasped, overjoyed that her knight, her protector, her friend, had remembered her even after all that had happened and wrapped her arms around him as they dropped to their knees. Her eyes fell on the Sheikah Slate he was carrying. It was then that she realized why her hero was in tears. Her previously joyous expression fell into one of sympathy and compassion as she wept with him.

"Link. I know. And I'm so sorry." She whispered into his ear as he hid his face in the crook of her neck. He had left his entire family behind after he was appointed the princess's knight. The battles that raged across the land, while possible they didn't claim his family's lives, time runs out for all living things eventually. Sparkling tears continued to fall as memories of seeing her father, the king, staying in the castle to battle with Calamity Ganon, as she was forced to flee. Link's anguished weeping subsided as his breathing became less shaky, more controlled. Their faces still in the crooks of each other's necks, Link slid one hand to Zelda's shoulder and down her arm, lifting it off his back. His roughened hand found her smaller, smoother one and their fingers intertwined as he lifted his head to meet her face. Diamond blue eyes met jade green. Their hands moved from the other's back to gently cup their faces as both wearied heroes' faces inched closer and closer to finally say what had been unsaid for a hundred years. But some words need not be uttered for one to speak. As their lips drew closer to each other, Zelda stopped just close enough to feel Link's breath on her skin. A smile drew across her lips before catching her knight's in a kiss that had been one hundred years over-due. Tears fell from lidded eyes not out of sorrow or pain, but out of happiness. Neither broke the kiss until the need for air became greater than their passion.

"Link," Zelda breathed as stars began to appear. "I think that-" Link held a finger to her lips with a knowing smile.

"Let's go home, Zelda. I know a place." Link picked up the Sheikah Slate and, putting his arm around her waist, set the destination to Hateno Village and disappeared in a flash of blue.

As the two heroes arrived at Link's house in Hateno Village, the strain that she had endured for countless years finally took its toll on her as she leaned on Link for support in front of the door.

"Oh, excuse me, Link, it looks like time is catching up with me. Is there an extra bed that I could use for the time being?" The princess inquired of him. He grinned sheepishly and scratched the back of his head. He led her by the hand and opened the plain wooden door to the simple house.

"Well, here's our home. " Link gestured to the interior of the humble abode.

" _Our_?" Zelda asked nervously. Link, now aware of the specific word he used, struggled to find the correct words to say.

"Only if you want to that is. I thought you would rather stay here while you adjust than at an inn somewhere." He spoke quickly and just as nervously as the princess. There was a moment of silence that stretched for an eternity as they stared at each other.

"Our… home…?" Zelda spoke aloud as she thought through the implications. "Our home." She breathed. Her smile was somewhere between hopeful and hesitant. "This is our home now, Link?" Link smiled at her and nodded slowly. Zelda beamed with a happiness she hadn't felt since she was a child. A thought struck her as she looked around the gently lit dwelling.

"If we're going to live here, Link, then we will need to acquire more adequate furniture. I'm thinking a handful of proper chairs, a table to eat at, maybe more candles – oh!" Her ramblings were cut short by Link hefting her in his arms and carrying her up the stairs. He gently laid her down on the solitary bed and pulled up a chair beside the bed to sit in.

"Link, what are you doing?" As her hands felt the softness of the mattress, her eyes grew wide. While it was nothing special, she couldn't help but to run her hands over the entire bed and bury her face into the small white pillow. "Oh, excuse me." Her cheeks wore a pink tinge as she noticed the amused expression on Link's face. "It's been quite some time is all." Her blush became a sheepish grin. "Um, Link? There appears to be only one bed in your – our house. Where will you sleep?"

"I can sleep anywhere." Link answered with a hint of pride in his voice.

"Link, what if you don't wake up? Or what if I don't wake up? I've gone one hundred years without sleeping, Link. Or what if something happens and –" Zelda blurted out her recent fears before Link put a finger to her lips, shushing her.

"Princess Zelda, I swear to you that as your knight, champion, and friend, I will never leave you. I will never let danger again come to you. You will never have to be alone again." Link removed his boots and blew out the many candles until only the moonlight spilled in through the windows. He sat in his chair beside the bed, crossed his arms, and closed his eyes before letting his mind drift. After several minutes of tossing and turning, Zelda spoke in a low whisper.

"Link, I apologize but… I don't think I can fall asleep. I don't remember how." Link rose from his chair and carefully lay down beside the princess, facing her back. He began to gently run his fingers through her hair over and over.

"Just relax." Link whispered slowly as he continued. "Close your eyes and focus on my breathing. Deep breath in, deep breath out. Try it."

"Thank you, Link…" Zelda whispered. They both breathed in slowly and breathed out slowly, Zelda becoming more relaxed and comfortable with Link's closeness to her. After she relaxed fully, Zelda grew drowsy and began to drift with a single thought in her mind: this is how it would be for the rest of her life. As she drifted off to sleep, Link whispered a gentle goodnight into her ear, eliciting a sleepy smile from her and drifted off to sleep as well. As dawn's light entered in through the window, Zelda stirred slowly awake until she groggily opened her eyes. She gazed into groggy, nearly unobservant eyes gazing back at her mere inches away. She blinked twice and in unison, both she and Link quickly pulled their faces away from each other, turning crimson up to their ears.

"Oh, Link! You're awake. G-Good morning." Zelda stuttered, unable to make eye contact with her knight.

"Good morning, Princess. I was just about to cook breakfast. Is there anything you would like?" Link inquired as he walked towards the staircase, looking everywhere but at his princess, pink tinting his cheeks. Zelda paused for a moment in thought as the prospect of her first meal in an age struck her.

"I honestly don't know, Link. What is the food called that's made of the white, sometimes speckled round things except it's yellow on the inside? I can't believe I forgot the name of my favorite food." She wailed.

"Eggs? Omelet? Eggs are the round ones, omelets are the cooked ones but you can cook eggs in many ways. If you help me find enough eggs for breakfast, I'll show you how to make an omelet." Link offered. He walked over to his boots and began to fasten them on.

"I would love to, but I don't think this dress will allow me to climb any trees." She laughed nervously, holding her stained dress out by her sides.

"Let's go shopping then. I have a set of clothes that may fit you until we can buy you some proper clothes. It even comes with a hood if you want it. There should be a red and green tunic along with trousers and a blue hood in the second drawer of the dresser. I'll wait outside while you change." Link informed her. While Link waited outside, Zelda spied a lone Silent Princess in the vase on top of the dresser by the bed. She picked it up gingerly as sweet nostalgia took hold of her. A small smile stretched across her lips at the memorable flower. She set the flower back in its vase before rummaging through the second drawer of the dresser to find Link's Hylian outfit. She changed into the colorful clothes and twirled around to examine the look and feel of them. As she tested the outfit, she noted the inside of the hood smelled like Link. Cooked foods, Cyprus, and grass. She glanced around without moving her head and confirming no one observed her, pulled the edges of the hood closer to her nose for a slightly deeper sniff. Satisfied, she tied a pair of Link's boots on before walking down the staircase and out through the door.

"So, Link. How do I look?" Zelda asked as she twirled in front of her knight, hair flowing in the wind.

Link, who had leaned up against the wall, examined her outfit.

"Great." He answered with a smile.

"Good. Although it feels a bit snug." Zelda attempted to adjust the tunic she wore before giving up on it entirely.

"Let's fix that. Breakfast first, though. Come on." Link grabbed her by the hand as the two trotted down the path towards the lush green forests outside Hateno Village giggling like children the entire way. Link picked an apple from a tree and tossed it to Zelda. "Try this." The simple sweet flavor of the apple stimulated her once dormant taste buds and set off an explosion of taste inside of her mouth.

"Link, I have just had the most stunning revelation. Food is good. Food is so good, Link. I can't describe it. Hurry up and find some eggs. I have a feeling I am about to catch up on a century's worth of meals." She laughed before tearing into the apple with her teeth rather ungracefully. Link simply smiled at her and remembered a time when the two of them had shared a laugh much like this. It was a clear day in Hyrule as they journeyed through the Retsam Forest below the Hateno Ancient Tech Lab scavenging for a meal much like they were doing now. Link had been collecting snails and herbs around the shores of Lake Sumac for a hearty lunch when he, losing his footing on a slippery snail, went tumbling into the shallow waters in a rare display of uncoordinated flailing. Zelda, after first making sure that her swordsman was okay, attempted to stifle a giggle before doubling over in laughter, all stress, worry, anxiety of the future simply forgotten, leaving only the moment they were in. Even the ever stern and stoic swordsman let out a good hearty laugh, seeing his charge forget the worry of tomorrow in favor of the joy of this one moment.

"Did you hear me, Link?" His princess repeated. "I asked what you were thinking about. You seemed to be thoroughly lost in thought."

"I remembered when I first heard you laugh. We were on the shores of Lake Sumac hunting for snails to eat when I slipped and fell in. You were nearly crying from laughing. I had never seen a laugh so infectious." Link recalled as he reached into a nest to retrieve the eggs.

"I couldn't help but notice something about you. In the time that I've been around you, you've been significantly more talkative than…back then." Zelda scrutinized her knight with a keenly analytical mind. "Why is that, do you suppose?"

"Wait. Down." Link whispered. The sound of hooves snapping branches in the distance caught Link's finely-honed ears.

"What is it? Bokoblins? Moblins?" Zelda asked as she crouched beside a tree next to the one Link was currently crouching behind. He had his bow readied but not aimed.

"Lynel." Was his only response. Zelda followed his gaze to where a blue Lynel stood, digging its hooves into the ground to mark its territory.

"Oh. Is that all?" Zelda replied sarcastically. The blonde knight let out a low exasperated groan.

"I really would rather not fight this guy right now. I finally found some eggs." He scratched the back of his head while he pondered the situation. He notched an ancient arrow and stood. "Hey, Zelda, you may have Hylia's sealing power but I bet you can't do _this_." He took aim as the beast looked directly at the pair and released the blue projectile. It flew through the air and landed in the center of the Lynel's chest, enveloping the Lynel in a sphere of blue and then nothing.

"What just happened, Link? What _was_ that? What did you shoot at it?" Zelda scanned the area for any trace of the Lynel but found none.

"I was hoping you could tell me. Every time I've used an ancient arrow on anything other than a guardian, the foe vanishes. Along with anything I might have been able to use from them too." Link spotted an egg in a nest above Zelda and climbed to retrieve it before putting it with the other eggs in his pack. Zelda drummed her fingers against her chin in thought. She snatched an arrow from Link's quiver and examined it methodically, studying every inch, every circuit, every possibility that it could hold. She handed it back to Link as she tried to think of how to explain the science she saw in the arrow.

"I think I may know what caused the Lynel to vanish. These arrows were meant to combat the Guardians and even Calamity Ganon. Their power is immeasurable compared to your basic arrows or even your elemental arrows. After the rise of Calamity Ganon, I talked with Purah about ways to combat the Guardians and she showed me a prototype of these arrows. The arrowhead is an ancient dagger refitted for use as the arrowhead but the ancient technology and circuitry in the shaft allows for the arrow to draw upon its own kinetic energy as it flies, dramatically increasing the overall power of your shots when it hits. The power is so great that enemies who are weaker than Guardians or don't have any Guardian parts, like Calamity Ganon or his various Blights do, the energy generated and dispersed upon impact is simply too great and completely obliterates the target. What advances we could all make in the fields of medicine, architecture, agriculture, science! It would be a new age of prosperity and peace. I wonder though, if it was that easy for Calamity Ganon to corrupt the Guardians, the ancient protectors meant to defend us from him, if it would truly be for the better to keep them. Oh, forgive me, I seem to have lost myself in my own thoughts." Zelda brushed her windblown hair out of her eyes. Link, who had waited and listened intently to Zelda speak on things leagues beyond his understanding, saw her lips moving saw her untied hair flowing about her face in the gentle morning breeze. The morning sunlight had caught her face just right and the wind itself had gone about working to frame her face with her own golden hair. Link stood there, taking in the beauty of the princess that stood before him.

"Um, Link? Did I say something odd? Don't tell me I've bored you to the point where your mind is now somewhere else." Zelda sighed.

"Oh, sorry. You lost me somewhere between circuitry and kinetic energy." Link turned away to hide his now fully reddened face. "We have the eggs now, let's go eat."

"Oh. That sounds good. Lead the way." Zelda responded as they trekked back through the forest towards Hateno. "Oh, goddesses above!" Zelda cried out in pain. "My ankle!" Link turned and knelt by her side, removing the boot from her left foot. Zelda winced in pain as it slid off. Her ankle had just started to swell and turned a sickly color of purple. "I stepped in this hole and twisted my ankle. How bad does it look, Link?"

"It _looks_ pretty bad. It's swollen and purple and well, you can see your ankle, can't you?" Link replied with a hint of amusement. "It may _look_ bad. But I have something at home that should help with the swelling. In the meantime, I can use my bandanna to keep your ankle stable while I carry you back up the hill."

"Can we not use the Shiekah Slate to travel to the shrine in town?" The princess protested.

"It teleports people in a standing position and with that ankle, you won't be doing much of that until after breakfast. I have a recipe that will help." Link took off his bandanna and wrapped it around Zelda's swollen ankle.

"A recipe?" Zelda took Link's outstretched hand and stood using his shoulder for support.

"Yeah. Hope you're feeling hungry this morning." Link knelt down with his back towards her.

"Link, what are you doing?" Zelda looked around in case there were any onlookers.

"You can't walk on that ankle. I'm going to carry you." Link held his position in front of the princess.

"I...What if that attracts attention when we go through the gate? I don't want anyone finding out who I am quite yet." She spoke quietly and slightly hesitantly.

"Then I'll climb up the hill with you." Link replied like it was a non-issue.

"You can't be serious, Link. You are not going to climb a hill with me on your back." Zelda crossed her arms and furrowed her brow.

"Epona doesn't really like hills so it's either on my back up the hill or on my back through the gate." Link mirrored the princess's stance.

"Fine." Zelda sighed. "You always were stubborn I guess." She climbed onto Link's back and Link began the short walk through the trees beside the trail so as to still be relatively safe from view. At the bend, he crossed the trail and walked through the trees out of view of the gate keeper before beginning his long ascent. "Oh! Link, stop for a second. I need to pick this rushroom to research why eating it gives a temporary boost in movement speed."

"I've actually experimented with them while cooking and the recipe book I have contains notes on their properties. You're more than welcome to look at it once we get back to my – I mean, our house." Link climbed up the rest of the gray hillside and carried Zelda the rest of the way to their house up the right side of the hill.

"It feels nice to have a home to come back to." Zelda stated as she sat with her back against the large tree in front of the cooking pot.

"You have no idea. Before I bought this house, I slept on the ground, sometimes in the rain when I couldn't find a nearby stable, on top of mountains or those skull things where the monsters couldn't reach me, and even in caves. Although there were some caves and actual holes in the ground that were very nice. Dry, secluded, any monster unfortunate enough to fall into that one hole I slept in would usually die on impact so I usually didn't have to worry about being attacked in my sleep. Nice hole." Link stopped talking and looked around to try and remember what he was supposed to be doing before walking inside the small abode. He exited with an armful of food, white Chuchu jelly blobs, and a Moblin gut.

"How do you like your omelet cooked? Do you like it lighter? A little on the brown side?" Link asked as he cracked four eggs and deposited them along with a small carton of milk into the cooking pot.

"Whatever is fastest. I honestly could eat anything you place in front of me at this point." She responded as her stomach growled audibly.

"As you wish. They'll be ready in just a moment." Link stuck a fire arrow to the wood beneath the pot and stirred the contents with a wooden spatula from inside until it became one loose mass. He flipped one side of the golden mass onto the other half and allowed it to cook a few moments more. Moments later, he crushed rock salt and a chickaloo tree nut onto the result before placing it on a plate in front of Zelda. "I am just now realizing that I don't own a single fork."

"How do you eat food then?" Zelda inquired incredulously.

"Usually I eat it with my hands or straight out of whatever bowl or plate I have on hand. When you're on the go with the possibility of being ambushed at any given moment, you tend not to be concerned about forks or anything." Link replied scratching the back of his neck. Zelda looked around for a moment before spotting a thin newly growing branch above her head. She reached up, broke it off at the base, and then broke it in half.

"Chopsticks. See? You're not the only crafty one anymore." She closed her eyes in a wide grin.

"That may be, but how shall you cut it, oh crafty one?" Link grinned smugly as she stared at her plate willing the solution to appear. When none appeared, she let out an exasperated huff.

"It would not be fitting for a princess of Hyrule to eat without the proper tools." Zelda muttered under her breath, frowning at the plate, fingers itching to simply scoop the mouthwatering meal into her mouth whole.

"You know, princess, you don't _have_ to be a princess right now. You can be free to do whatever you want. And in any case, this is also your house. You don't have to have royal manners or anything. If you eat with your hands, who am I to judge?" Link cracked four more eggs and a carton of fresh milk into the pot and began cooking another omelet.

"I...don't have to be princess right now? But what about rebuilding Hyrule?"

"Hyrule is its people. They've survived this long on their own. They can survive a little longer. That omelet won't, though. Let's eat." Link shoveled his omelet onto his plate and seasoned it before grabbing it with his bare hands and shoving half of it into his mouth, steam still coming off of the golden delight.

"That...sounds nice, Link. I'd like that. But yes, let's eat. If my stomach were to growl any harder, it may just cause an earthquake." Zelda tossed the small branches to the side and began devouring the omelet in front of her, licking the wooden plate clean. "That was incredibly delicious, Link! You must show me how to make such wonderful dishes. Do you have anymore eggs?"

"That was my last one but I do have something better for you to eat. But before I cook that, since it will take a little time, I need to treat your leg so that it will heal faster after you eat the meal." Link grabbed the Moblin guts and white Chuchu blobs from the ground beside him. "I learned this neat trick a short while after I left the Great Plateau. If you put something really cold on a bump or bruise, it will make it heal faster. So what I'm going to do is stuff this water-filled Moblin gut with a few white Chuchu blobs since they freeze when they explode. When I was experimenting with the method, I tried touching an ice arrow to a particularly nasty bruise on my leg where I took a club to it and ended up freezing my entire leg. Thankfully, I had a fire arrow and it melted the ice away before any long lasting damage was done." Link chuckled at the memory as he stuffed the blobs into the Moblin gut and dropped the makeshift ice bag, allowing the blobs to freeze the water. He placed it on Zelda's ankle, who took a sharp intake of breath in response to the sudden freezing contact.

"The reason that ice helps reduce bumps and bruises like that is because when there is an injury, more blood flows to that spot, making it swell up and become warm. And...wow this is actually quite effective. And when the body becomes cold, it constricts blood vessels to reduce heat loss. That's how ice reduces swelling. But enough science, tell me about the dish you're preparing. Also this is absolutely disgusting, Link. I can't believe I have the guts of a monster on my leg. As a scientist, however, I must say this is quite innovative." Zelda continued to writhe slightly under the freezing pack on her leg.

"Thanks. I guess you could say that it's pretty _cool_?" Link raised his eyebrows at her in self satisfaction.

"Link. I...Oh Link please stick to simply cooking and killing monsters. Your skills may be many, but your wit with words is not one of them." Zelda smiled at him pityingly while shaking her head.

"Ah, what a _cold_ response." Link feigned pain.

"Oh please no. No more puns, Link." Zelda could barely stifle a giggle from escaping her own mouth.

"Very well. I will be _ice_ enough to concede." Link gave an overly exaggerated bow and raised one eyebrow up at Zelda who was now attempting to hide her face behind her hands to conceal her red faced silent laughter. Moments passed as she tried to compose herself enough to speak.

"It's...it's _snow use_ I suppose. Your wit is utterly horrendous and if I am to spend this time with you, I shall subject you to your own shallow form of humor." The two looked at each other for a single moment before losing all composure and filling the hillside with laughter that compounded the longer it lasted until neither of them could breath.

"I cannot remember the last time I laughed that hard." Zelda spoke between gasps of air.

"I can. Remember Lake Sumac? You complained about your sides hurting for the rest of the day." Link chuckled at the fond memory before letting out a small sigh.

"Link, is there something troubling you?" Zelda asked as he put several ingredients into the cooking pot.

"It's nothing really." He tried to convince himself.

"Link, you don't have to be the stoic, silent knight who carries the weight of the world on his shoulders anymore. You've done enough. You don't have to worry about being Hyrule's champion anymore." Zelda spoke softly as she scooted over to sit next to him, propping herself up on her hands and readjusted the ice pack. Link gazed into the fire that blazed beneath the pot as he spoke.

"Ever since I woke up, I've been regaining memories as I've journeyed. The thing is, they aren't _my_ memories. They're _ours_ , yes. And I am grateful for those memories. But odd as it may sound, I don't know anything about myself. Where I come from, who I was before, even things like where I learned to cook because as good as royal chefs may be, the things I know how to cook are not royal dishes. I can cut some grass, a couple flowers, throw it in that pot and call it a dish. That's not something chefs teach. I'm sorry. I just can't help but feel like a book with the first half of the pages missing from it." Link ranted before remembering his still cooking food and stirred a few more ingredients into the mix. The silence grew between them while Zelda tried to think of the words to say.

"I don't have any answers for you, Link. Not about who you were before you were appointed as my knight. Not about where you come from or anything about you. I don't know your favorite color or favorite dish or where you learned to cook. But I would be more than happy to help you find those answers." She placed a hand on his shoulder. "I too would very much like to get to know the rest of you. That is to say, the facets of you that don't revolve around combat and physical prowess."

"Thank you, Zelda. But I wouldn't even know where to begin." Link sighed before scooping a wooden bowl into the pot of pink creamy soup.

"Well, how about we start with finishing breakfast? What's this you've just made?" She asked as the heavenly aroma hit her nose.

"This is one of my favorite dishes I've ever created. I don't know why, but when I make it, I feel nostalgic. It's called Creamy Heart Soup but this time I put something extra into it. I lied. I forgot to put the last bit in." Link reached into the smallest pocket in his pouch and retrieved a small floating pink light. "Hey little guy." He whispered to the small fairy cupped in his hands. "My friend here is kinda hurt so I made her some food to help her get better. I was hoping you could help me out a little bit by putting some of your magic into it." The fairy floated up and then to the boiling pot of soup. It skimmed slowly just above the surface as if examining it before casting specks of magic all over the pink liquid as it flew around and around. When it was done, it cast a few more specks into the bowl Zelda was holding and then flew back to Link who gave it a rupee.

"What was all that about?" Zelda asked, examining her now sparkling soup.

"That was a fairy. If I catch them, they'll heal me in battle if I fall. Alternatively, they'll help me cook if I ask them to. I like to give them something for their troubles like rupees since apparently rupees help to restore the power lost to the Great Faireis when they perform magic services. That fairy just imbued this meal with a little of its life energy which will greatly increase your natural healing ability for a little bit. Once you eat this, by this afternoon, you'll be able to walk again." The small fairy floated upwards and out of sight with the small green rupee.

"That is just...absolutely incredible. I don't know what to say." Zelda replied looking back and forth between her bowl and Link.

"Try my food and let's see what you have to say about it. I've never had to make food for two so I'm not entirely sure if this is too much for the both of us or too little. You're welcome to however much you would like, of course. I usually give whatever I have leftover when I return from my journeys to the kids or the inn in town." Zelda slurped a little bit of the fruity liquid and let out a hum of satisfaction and continued to slurp away on the rejuvenating drink.

"Link this is absolutely heavenly. The chefs of Hyrule have not a leg to stand on compared to this. How did you make this?" Zelda asked as she downed the rest of her bowl and dipped more from the pot.

"Well, it takes a hydromelon, a voltfruit, some milk, and whatever kind of radish you have on hand. I used a big one since it seems to help you recover more quickly. I wish I remembered where I learned this." Link dipped a bowl for himself and started slurping with Zelda.

"Maybe there's someone who may be able to aid us in recovering your lost memories among the Shiekah. We should head there when we can." Zelda replied.

"Yeah. Hey, Zel. What can _you_ tell me about me? I remember the memories from the pictures in the Shiekah Slate but hardly anything else." Link hesitated to say his next words. "Was I a good kind of person? What kind of person was I?" Zelda took Link's right hand in hers and turned it so his palm was facing the sky and slowly traced her middle finger over the calloused pads of his hand.

"These callouses, are proof of your truly countless hours honing your skill with the blade." She flipped his hand over and traced the numerous scars found below his fingers. "These scars on your hand are but mementos of a few of the fights you won." She lifted the left side of his shirt to reveal a scar earned from a grievous wound covering the lower portion of the left side of his rib cage. "This is but one of the many, many scars that you earned when you saved my life after the Calamity. You took on more than twenty Guardians while still protecting me the entire time. Even when you reached the point where your body wouldn't move, you still fought yourself to rise up and fight in order to protect me. Were you a good person? I would say so. You were and still are every bit a hero as those in the old legends. The ones who didn't care about what happened to themselves. The ones who set their lives on the line to protect those who they loved. You were a quiet one, but only to show yourself strong in the face of danger and under all the pressures of being Hyrule's champion who would help defeat an unspeakable evil while still so young. You confided this in me once. These scars you have are proof of your courage and selflessness for others." Zelda let Link's shirt drop back down and met his tear filled eyes. Link smiled softly at her and nodded.

"Thank you, Zelda. I don't know what to say." Link broke eye contact before coughing and mentioning something about water and went inside. He returned with a pitcher of water and two wooden cups before laying down face up beside Zelda.

"What would you like to do today, Zel?" Link asked from the ground looking up at the clouds.

"After I can walk again, I would love to see what Hateno is like. I want to know what it's like to be one of them. One of the everyday people who I'll be watching over." Zelda let herself fall on her back beside Link. "I want to spend a little time just learning what life is like outside of being a ruler. I want to know what it is that I'll be protecting and who all the people are, what they value in life."

"How about we start with the clothes shop owner? You still need some clothes as well as sleepwear." Link stretched out his arms above his head.

"That sounds like as good a plan as any." Zelda crossed her arms behind her head as they both gazed at the passing clouds.

"Maybe we could just stay here like this for a little while." Link proposed.

"Even better." Zelda rotated herself until her head was nearly touching Link's. The morning was filled with contented sighs and what shape certain clouds looked like.

 _To be continued_


	2. Hateno Harvest Festival

Hateno Harvest Festival

"Link..." A soft whisper came to Link in the night. "Wake up, Link." Slightly harsher now. Link stirred in his sleep and was vaguely aware of a banging noise coming from somewhere and was steadily getting louder as he was slowly dragged into consciousness. "Link, wake _up_!" Zelda hissed into his ear. Link jumped into a crouched position on the bed and snatched a sword from its rack above the headboard, looking around, the majority of his senses still eluding him but not enough to keep his knightly instincts at bay. Zelda had backed several feet away after Link had jolted awake.

"What happened? Intruder? Monsters? Is the village under attack?" Every muscle fiber in Link's body was tensed and prepared to act upon the slightest sign of danger.

"No! No, settle down there's nothing wrong. I just heard a lot of noises outside and the slate said it's only around four in the morning." The loft was lit by a lone candle that served as a comfort for both Link and Zelda as they would occasionally have nightmares about Ganon returning. This candle cast its soft light around the house and showed Zelda's messy bedhead was nearly as bad as Link's. The sound of hammers pounding nails into wood and of saws filled the night air. Link and Zelda threw on a set of clothes and left to investigate. Across the bridge, dawn's light had just begun to settle on the village, setting ablaze the waters and countryside. Even though the sun hadn't even fully risen, the villagers were already hard at work putting up decorations and building new signs and banners all over Hateno. Link, now with his wits about him, recognized what was going on and his eyes grew wide with anticipation.

"Zelda. The people are up at an ungodly hour. Even the kids. The shops are setting up banners that advertise specialty dishes. Decorations are going up and everyone's getting their premium wares out on display. Do you know what this _means_?" Link had grabbed hold of her shoulders and looked at her with stars in his eyes.

"I'm...afraid I haven't a clue." Zelda replied. She mentally noted that Link looked like a child seeing a Rito fly for the first time.

"It's the Harvest Festival! One of the best days of the year, where people and merchants come from all over to trade and shop and do you know what the best part is?" Link questioned, barely containing himself.

"Wh-"

"Food! An amazing feast to celebrate the past harvest and to feed everyone at the end of the day! The past few weeks, everyone's been getting ready for it and today is finally the day that we get to experience it and _this_ time, it'll be even better because everyone will be celebrating the defeat of Calamity Ganon!" Link rejoiced.

But it's not even the end of Summer. Why are they celebrating the harvest when they haven't even done any harvesting?" Zelda questioned.

"In Hateno, the crops grow at a faster rate than anywhere else in Hyrule. The soil here is rich and extremely fertile. Or so the farmers tell me." Link answered.

"Link, would you mind teaching me how to cook? It's something that I have never been able to figure out, even with all my scientific knowledge. Maybe I simply haven't tested my theories on the matter enough but even so, I would like to learn." Zelda requested.

"It would be my honor to teach Her Majesty." Link play-bowed in front of her. "But only after we can actually see and..." Link let out a mighty yawn. "Can function. Did you know that you snore?"

"I do _not_!" Zelda lightly slapped Link's arm as he chuckled.

"Like a Hinox. I'm just thankful that I have disciplined myself to be able to go more than three whole days without a bit of sleep." Link stretched his arms above his head.

"That's about all that you've disciplined yourself on." Zelda mocked as she slapped his stomach with the back of her hand. "You've never been able to turn down a good meal."

"Hey when you can cook food as good as mine, you won't be able to resist either." Link retorted. "In any case, I'm going back to bed. It's too early to be up."

"Wait, Link. Sit out here with me, please. In the time that I watched over Hyrule and you while holding Calamity Ganon at bay, I saw the world, but never through my own eyes. It was as if I was looking at it through the slate, never in person. But now I can see the world for myself and I would like to start by sitting here and watching the sunrise. And after the festival is over, would you...maybe like to accompany me to the other villages and towns? Perhaps?" Zelda sat down on the hillside and basked in the warmth of the morning rays, leaning back on her hands. Link sat and mimicked her.

"Zelda," Link said after several silent moments. He placed his hand on top of Zelda's beside him and grabbed it gently. "if it means I get to continually protect you, I would travel to the ends of the world with you and beyond. I will happily go with you wherever you decide to go." Link gently squeezed her hand.

"Hey, Link! I need a hand with this - oh I'm sorry! I wasn't interrupting anything was I?" Seldon walked up and asked the two now blushing young adults. They quickly moved their hands behind their backs, unable to look the other in the eye.

"Oh, no nothing. We were just enjoying the morning for once. What was it that you needed, Seldon?" Link inquired quickly, attempting to hide his massive blush with Zelda doing the same.

"Yeah. Uh, I just needed a hand with this banner on the front of the inn. Are…are you sure I'm not interrupting anything? Because I can ask someone else if you want."

"No! I mean. No, honestly, it's fine. We were just enjoying the sunrise." Link responded.

"Well, I don't want to tear you away from your girlfriend if you're having a moment or nothing."

"Girlfriend?!" Both Link and Zelda exclaimed.

"I'm not…We aren't…where's that banner?" Link walked off speedily while tugging at the collar of his tunic, walking still barefoot down the trail.

"But…" Zelda looked at Links retreating form longingly as he disappeared behind a building. "I _do_ want to…"

"Great work today, Link. I think that will just about do it for today's preparations. You should probably get on back to your girlfriend. It's not good to leave a girl waitin'." Seldon winked at Link.

"She's…not my…we're just…"

"Sure, kid. You two. I saw you two. The look in your eyes, unmistakable." Seldon leveled his gaze. "Link, what do you feel when you're around her?"

"I…I feel like I can finally rest. I feel like I don't have to fight anymore. I feel like I've fought for lifetimes for her. I never want to see her cry again. When she smiles, it's like I can feel the Sun on my face and I never want to see that smile leave hers. I want her to feel like she can leave all her worries and regrets behind and be herself. I never want her to be alone again. That's what I feel when I'm around her." Link turned to look towards his house on the other side of the hill.

"I don't know half of what you're talking about but _tell_ her that, boy! There are things in this life that must be said. There are words that only you can tell her. So go! The festival is starting!" Crowds of people began pouring in through the village gate, from the inn, and every conceivable avenue. Link thanked Seldon and ran off to find Zelda.

"Excuse me, young lady." An elderly woman shuffled up next to where Zelda was sitting under the tree near the Bolson model homes.

"Oh, Miss Uma. How are you this evening?" Zelda asked as she rose.

"I'm just fine, dear. I'm not so certain I can say the same for you, though. Please, sit with me and tell me what's troubling you." Uma sat with her back against the tree and patted the ground beside her.

"How did you know?" Zelda inquired, resigned to no longer be able to hide her emotions.

"Dearie, I've been in this world a very long time. You tend to notice things that younger folk don't at this age." Uma replied.

"I see. I suppose the trouble is…Link. I've been living with him for a few months now and yet…I don't know where I stand with him. I don't know what it is that we have. He'll say things that I interpret as him simply being platonic but then he'll do things that can't be anything but romance. I say that, but I have never had a relationship before… Am I overthinking these things? Am I not thinking about them enough?"

"Miss Zel, I can't help but feel like it's less about what you see him do as much as it is about what you feel when you're with him. I know how you feel about him, but I want _you_ to know what you feel around him." Uma shifted her weight on the soft ground.

"I feel like…I feel like I can be myself when I'm around him. I feel warmth and light with him. I feel happiness, peace, and safe. Where the darkness cannot touch me. When I'm with him, I feel like lifetimes of waiting have finally ended. It's…strange. I haven't known Link all that long, but I feel as though I have known him for ages. Lifetimes. I would very much like to stay with him. If he would have me that is." Zelda trailed off, looking at her left hand in the waning light.

"You should tell him that. You're much too young to let the moments slip by. Take it from and old woman like me. Don't let these moments you have with him slip through your fingers, Princess." Uma said with a wink.

"What did you just say?" Zelda stiffened up.

"Oh, did I say something strange? Oh, dearie me my mind must be slipping in my old age. Well look at that. Looks like Link certainly has something on his mind. I'll let you two kids talk." Uma rose up from the ground, dusted herself off, and headed towards the festival as music wafted through the air.

"Zel! I gotta tell you something. It's really important." Link ran up to her breathless and excited.

"So do I…but first…dance with me." Zelda put her arms behind her back.

"What?" Link furrowed his brow.

"I want to dance with you. In case you don't like what you hear…" Zelda spoke softly, blushing slightly.

"But…I don't know how to dance. I'm a knight not a member of a troupe. But…if it will make Her Majesty happy, I will be happy to try." Link let out resigned chuckle as Zelda pulled him by the hand into the throng of people gathering in front of the inn and in the surrounding fields.

"Good. Because I want to dance with you until there is no more music left in the world." Zelda turned her head back to look at him as they both slipped through the crowd to where everyone had begun dancing to the music. Link opened his mouth to speak but what left his mouth was only air. The music from the ensemble had now fully permeated the air for miles as the denizens of the fields, forests, and nearby stables danced by the fire under the bright shining moon and stars. The music began to swell and to the two blondes, it felt as though for all the people gathered around, they were the only two in the world in those moments that they spun each other around and around. After what seemed like hours of dancing to music, the leader of the band made an announcement.

"Everybody, as we do every year, we are going to play a sacred song passed down for hundreds of generations in thanks of the goddess Hylia for this rich, fertile land and bountiful crop. Even during the Age of Burning Fields, we had food. Now, let us sing our thanks. Everybody join in if you know the tune." The musicians strummed and played a slow tempo song as everyone began to sing and hum the tune while others slow danced along. Link awkwardly placed his hands around Zelda's waist as she gracefully put her arms around his neck. Link, now comfortable with this closeness, rested his forehead against hers and smiled a soft smile as he closed his eyes. Zelda mirrored him as they melted into the music of the night. Both Zelda's and Link's eyes snapped open as they recognized the melody.

"Hey Zel, this is-"

"The song of the royal family. It's my lullaby." Zelda looked up and around at all the people singing along and at the small ensemble of farmers and bards from across the land playing the song she had grown up with.

"So, something of the past survived after all." Zelda whispered as she rested her forehead against Link's once more with tears threatening to fall.

"Yes. And she's the best thing that ever happened to me. There's something that I want to tell you." Link used a finger to lift her chin up to look into her eyes. He could see wonder, curiosity, and most of all, hope.

"What…?"

"I wanted to tell you that…the first time I saw you, you were in the Castle Town market trying to buy an apple even though there were royal guards surrounding you and one particular royal chef that was complaining about "A member of the royal family should not be eating the food of commoners!" or something along those lines. You took a green apple from the stand and bit into it right in front of him and you had this unmistakable look like you had just bit into a lemon. Your face was all twisted up but you just kept on eating the apple until it was gone and gave the merchant more rupees than what the apple was worth. I thought the chef was going to die of shock. But the whole time you did that, I couldn't help but feel like I had known you my whole life. I know, I know. It sounds cheesy and honestly a little ridiculous. But, I feel like I've known you my whole life. Several lives if I'm being honest." Link scratched the back of his neck.

"I feel the same way too, Link. When we met the first time, even though I resented you because of my own failures, deep down, I felt as though I was meeting an old friend. I wish I had held on to that feeling now. Was..was that all that you wanted to tell me?" Zelda asked, a hint of disappointment in her tone. Link blinked twice, and his eyes held the look of someone who had seen it all.

"No. I wanted to tell you that when I'm with you, I feel like I don't have to fight anymore. I can finally be with you and rest. When I feel your embrace, I know that we can outlast whatever time has to throw at us. When we're looking at the clouds, all I can think about is soaring up there with you, high in the sky. And when you smile, I know that the darkness can never reach us again. Because you smile like the Sun." Link wrapped his arms a little tighter around her. Zelda breathed out and her demeanor changed from someone who had survived a hundred years of a nightmare to someone who had walked the earth for time untold.

"Link, you have sacrificed so much. Your childhood, your body, even your honor. You have saved Hyrule time and time again. You've saved me. Every time evil threatens the land, you come and save me and…I am so sorry for you having to go through all of this, Link. I want you only to rest and be at peace." Zelda nearly started sobbing.

"Hey, I am at peace when I'm with you. If I were to finally rest, then I wouldn't be able to see you anymore. I wanted this. I wanted to always be with you. Even when life gets hard. You have nothing to be sorry for." Link pulled her into him, slid his hand over her right cheek, brushed a tear away with his thumb, and pressed his lips to hers. Zelda took his face in both of her hands and kissed him back much in the same way as when Link saved her those months ago from Calamity Ganon. When Link opened his eyes, they had gone back to their normal look of wonder and determination while Zelda had regained her air of curiosity about the world and slight insecurity.

"Zelda, I think the world of you. I want to always protect you and be by your side so that I can always see your smiling face and hear your laugh and hear you talk about things that I can't even begin to understand but I like hearing you talk about them to me because you just look so happy whenever you're on your latest spill about how Hot-Footed frogs give you speed or how the Great Deku Tree is connected to all other trees because of something or other I don't understand. About how Shiekah technology is the coolest and unbelievably advanced and how much you love the people of Hyrule even though you don't know much about them yet. I love seeing the wonder in your eyes whenever I show you something new I learned during my travels. I love the peaceful look you get when you take a nap under a tree beside me. I just…I think the world of you. I love you. And I never want to leave your side." Link's heart raced as he waited for a response from the silent princess. Zelda rested her head on Link's shoulder as she put her arms back around his neck and sighed in relief.

"I love you too, Link. That is all I have ever wanted to hear from you. When I was holding Calamity Ganon at bay, I had time to think. And in all that time, I could only think of you. I wanted so terribly to be able to talk to you again. To see you face to face again. To tell you that I feel safe when I'm with you, I feel warm. And happy. I feel like I can be myself when I'm around you. I never want to have to part from your side." A couple of stray tears stained Link's tunic. Link's eyes grew wide with sudden realization.

"You never want us to have to part ways?" Link asked.

"Well, yes. I just said that." Zelda replied, wiping her eyes as she looked at Link.

"And you want to stay with me at our house?"

"Yes."

"Wait right here." Link instructed as he planted a kiss on her forehead and took off back up the trail towards their home, kicking up a cloud of dust behind him. He returned shortly after to a puzzled Zelda waiting for him along with a crowd milling about now that the music had stopped.

"Link, what is it?" Zelda inquired looking at Link's closed hand.

"I swear that I will always protect you. I will always be your shield. If evil rises again, I'll be there to vanquish it. Should you ever be in need of aide, I will be by your side at a moment's notice. I will be your loyal and dedicated knight. I will put the royal chefs of old to shame with my cooking for you. I can show you all the beautiful places in Hyrule. The first one is right where you're standing. The prettiest, strongest, most courageous girl I have ever had the great fortune to meet is standing right there. I will never let you feel like you're all alone ever again and will never allow us to part ways because I want to grow old with you in that house across the stream. I guess what I'm really trying to ask is…" Link dropped down to one knee and held out a silver ring with an iridescent opal socketed into it. "Princess Zelda, rightful heir to the kingdom of Hyrule and my best friend in the whole world, it would be my incomparable honor if you would agree to marry me. What do you say, Zel?" The crowd that had gathered around began to whisper in shock and skepticism as to if this was truly the daughter of the house of Hyrule as well as surprise and pride in Link. Zelda, however, was only aware of the man kneeling in front of her with a ring in his hand asking her to spend the rest of her life with him in a cozy town far away from the ruins of her old life.

With tears now streaming down her face, she gave him her answer.

"Yes..Yes, of course I'll marry you, Link! There is no one in this land nor any other land that I would rather spend the rest of my life with than you." Zelda buried her face into the crook of Link's neck as she wrapped her arms around him. She let go and allowed him to slide the ring onto her finger. The surrounding onlookers erupted into a cheer as the newly engaged couple embraced each other again.

"Hey, maestro! Can we get one more song? I want to dance with my future wife!" Link called over to the leader of the ensemble.

"Sure, thing, Link! Okay guys, let's play that upbeat one that our fathers taught us when they played it in Castle Town. 1…2…1, 2, 3, 4!" The small band began to play, and everyone danced the night away around the still burning bonfire. As the song ended, all the denizens of the land gathered around Link and Zelda with Uma closest to them.

"Princess Zelda, Champion Link, we cannot express our gratitude for what you have done for Hateno, for all of Hyrule and the surrounding lands. You two are the light of Hyrule that has shined hope on us when a lingering cloud of despair had all but covered the land. Thank you, so very much." Uma bowed on the ground and everyone else bowed as well, some hesitantly, others instructing their children to bow with them, the elderly electing to simply bow their heads. "We will assist in any way we are able to in the rebuilding of Hyrule." Zelda looked out over the crowd unsure of what to say.

"Rise. Everyone, I'm no princess. Not right now, at least. My aim is to live with and learn from you all in the time it takes to rebuild the castle and Castle Town. I wish to learn the various needs of the people I will be leading in the future. How I can help, how I can serve, how I can make life any easier for everyone. As far as Hyrule goes however, a friend of mine told me that Hyrule is its people. Hyrule was never destroyed because you all are still here. And that's what matters. Lastly, I do not want to be treated as a princess. I don't want any special treatment just because of the family I was born into. I want to earn the trust and respect of those I will be responsible for. So for now, until I take my place on the throne with Link, please, simply call me Zelda. After all, I'm no more important than any of you." Zelda announced as the people rose.

"I'm sorry, did you say, 'place on the throne with Link'? What's that supposed to mean?" Link questioned.

"You are going to marry a princess, young knight. You are going to be a king after the coronation. So get ready." Uma chuckled.

" _Oh._ " Link replied softly.

"Don't worry, Link. We still have a few years until then. For now, let's go home. I want to cook supper for my fiancé and I'm cooking your second favorite. Tough meat-stuffed pumpkin with some Goron Spice!" Zelda led him down the path by the arm as they disappeared behind the bend, both their faces flushed with euphoria from the night.

 _To be continued_


End file.
